From 1981 to 2010, the Cefas Young Fish Survey recorded total numbers of individual fish identified at inshore stations around the British Isles, predominantly along the south and east coasts. The survey used a light 2-meter beam trawl to target small and young fish, primarily to evaluate juvenile sole and plaice abundance. The data is provided by the Marine Environmental Data & Information Network.
Use Cases
- Analyze long-term population trends of juvenile sole and plaice based on the 30-year survey time series.
- Model spatial distribution of young fish species based on inshore sampling locations around the British Isles.
- Assess biodiversity changes in coastal fish communities based on total counts of identified species.
- Investigate the abundance of non-target fish species mentioned in the survey's secondary objectives.
Strengths
- Covers a 30-year time series from 1981 to 2010.
- Focuses on inshore locations around the British Isles, with specific mention of south and east coasts.
- Data includes fish measurements for the majority of recorded individuals.
Limitations
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
- Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
- Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to the survey's focus on specific UK coastal regions.
Provenance
- Source
- Marine Environmental Data & Information Network
- Collection Method
- Survey deployed a light 2-meter beam trawl at inshore stations.
- Time Range
- 1981 to 2010
- Freshness
- Last updated 2026-06-11 08:12:51.422479; freshness should be verified.
- Geography
- Inshore locations around the British Isles, predominantly south and east coasts.